Light Up, Light Up
by MishaMooska
Summary: After an accident, Mako is trapped between the real world and the spirit world. As his tethers to the real world break the longer his spirit is away from his body, he is at risk of being lost forever. Makorra
1. One

**A/N:** _Had this one in my head for a while now. Highly influenced by the son Run by Snow Patrol, as well as the Season 2 episode of Supernatual "As I Lay Dying". Told from both the perspectives of Mako and Korra. Let the hurt begin._

* * *

**_Mako_**

It was rare for me to have days off. Even when I wasn't working I can normally be found beside Korra, facing the latest problem Today was different, after what felt like a century of a string of emergencies, we were having a decrease in activity. No one was currently threatening to offset the balance of the world, allowing us all to finally relax a little.

I woke to find my arms empty and the opposite side of the bed cold. Frowning, I roll out of the bed, wondering why I had yet to be woken. I throw on the clothes I wore yesterday, they were still clean. I find Bolin eating at the table, green noodles hanging from between his lips.

"You're having leftovers for breakfast?" I ask with a smirk.

"Breakfast? It's practically lunch time." Bolin says, his mouth still full. I look up at the clock above him, 11:43. I hadn't slept that late in months.

"Where's Korra?" I open the ice box and quickly realize I need to go shopping. No wonder Bolin is eating leftover noodles, we barely have any groceries.

"She left in a hurry to meet up with Asami, said something about a girls day." Bolin slurped.

"She didn't tell me anything about a girls day..." I pout, I was kind of hoping to spend the afternoon together. It would be our first peaceful outing in over a week.

"Guess they didn't exactly plan it." he shrugged.

I slumped into the chair across from him, trying to work up the energy to go shopping. It wasn't exactly how I wanted to spend my day off.

"So," Bolin began, setting his chopsticks down on the table, which proceeded to roll towards me. We need a new table too, this one wobbles. "When are you guys going to make it official?"

"What does that mean?" I quirk my eyebrow.

"Is Korra ever going to officially move in, or is she going to continue to be the house guest who never leaves and eats our food?" Bolin's smile grew, he knew I didn't like talking about this stuff. Sometimes I think he likes to watch me squirm.

"I don't know, Bo." I roll my eyes. Little does he know I had recently been hiding a betrothal necklace in my nightstand for a little over a week now. I had somehow managed to convince Tonraq to help me with making one the last time they came to visit Korra. It looked like absolute crap, but he laughed and told me it added character.

"It's been what... five years now? Mako, don't you think it's time to take the 'next step'?" he air quoted.

"We like where we are." I glare at him. He doesn't look even half convinced. I need to change the subject before he presses the matter further. "I have to go buy groceries if we're going to eat tonight."

"Ooh! Can I come?" Bolin stands from the table as I do. I normally don't bring him food shopping since we always end up with stuff we don't actually need, but I don't want to go alone. I nod and his smile grows again, if that's even possible. "Finally I can get some stuff that I like!"

"Like what?" I laugh as we exit the apartment, having left a quick note for Korra. I hear the jingle of his satomobile keys. "We're driving?"

"I hate carrying all those bags back, like the food is right in front of my face and I can't eat it... This will be easier." he holds up the keys. "Come on, it's not like you're paying for the gas..."

"Fine." I sigh. I normally find myself walking everywhere, it helps clear my head at the end of the day. Though more often than not, Korra manages to drag me places on Naga.

I remember the satomobile getting hit on our way home, I remember Bolin losing control, I remember hearing the crunch of metal. I don't remember how I ended up standing on the sidewalk, staring at the destroyed vehicle, without a single scratch on me.

The passenger side had been practically ripped off, the door was several feet away next to the car that hit us. Fruits and vegetables are rolling around the street, some have been flattened into the pavement. Amongst the freed produce, I see someone laying face down in the middle of the street. _Bolin..._

"Bolin!" I shout, running towards him. I'm halfway there when I realize it isn't Bolin. Maybe the driver of the other car. I come to a stop beside them and my blood goes cold.

It's me.

I'm standing over my own beaten body, cut up and bleeding, skin scraped off my arms, my leg bent in a sickening angle, and a deep gash traveling across my forehead. I have to be dreaming, it's the only explanation. I must still be asleep in my bed, Korra wrapped in my arms, Bolin sleeping in the next room. _Wake up already! Wake up, wake up! I can't be dead, I don't want to be dead! Wake up! _I reach down to try and shake myself awake, but my hands pass right through my body.

"I'm dead..." I whisper to myself, looking at my palms. The sound of sirens forces me to turn away, and I watch, kneeling next to myself, as an ambulance shrieks to a stop beside a police van. The group that jumps out looks over me completely as two run towards my tattered form an two run to the satomobile.

I stand as they pull my little brother from the driver's side, he hadn't been thrown from it like I had. His head lolls to the side, but a healer is quick to catch it. I can't hear them, but I see Bolin's chest rise and fall. At least Bolin is alive...

"This kid's got a pulse!" a woman shouts behind me. I turn to see her kneeling over me, a look of complete shock on her face.

"Put a brace on his leg, we need to get him out of here quick..." the other healer mumbles. I notice that our accident had gathered a crowd. People covering their mouths in shock, one woman is crying. Probably more for Bolin, the popular mover star, rather the me.

"I honestly didn't think he'd be alive..." the female healer shakes her head, as they loaded me on a stretcher. I watch her flinch as my bloodied arm hangs off the edge of the stretcher when they lift it up.

"I know him, he's a cop..." the younger male says, grunting as he tried lift the stretcher higher.

I watch helplessly, and silently, as they load me into the back of the ambulance. I take a seat in the back beside the female healer. She doesn't know I'm there, she's too busy trying to heal what she can of the gash on my forehead. The water she's using is already discolored from the blood and dirt.

I'm shaking violently, I hadn't noticed it until now. Everything is happening so quickly, I feel like I haven't caught up yet. My mind is completely blank, void of any kind of emotion. Can ghosts suffer from shock? Am I a ghost? They said I was alive.

I'm alive... How can I be alive? What am I if the body in front me is still, somehow, breathing?

* * *

**_Korra_**

I wake up to a wave of nausea washing over me. It was the fourth time this week, and I am getting worried I had somehow caught a bug of some kind. I manage to untangle myself from Mako's long arms and sneak off to the bathroom. As I empty the contents of my stomach, I suddenly have an epiphany. So I call the only person who I think can help me, Asami.

She offers to rush over, since I sound so urgent, but I tell her I'll be at her place in less than ten minutes. I tell Bolin, who was casually warming up his noodles from last night on the stove, that I'm spending the day with Asami. I also remind him that today is Mako's day off, and to let him sleep in. He nods as I hurry out the door.

I dismount Naga so quickly I almost fall on my face. Asami's waiting by the front door, sleep still in her green eyes as she ushers me inside.

I tell her what I think is happening to me, and she asks the obvious question.

"Well, how late are you?" she asks, pouring me a cup of tea as I sit at her kitchen table.

"I don't know... I'm not very good at keeping track of it." I admit sheepishly. She gives me a disapproving look.

"Okay..." she sighs. "How about the last time you two... you know..." She blushes.

"Uh... no that won't help us either." Now I'm blushing.

"I know what will work. We're going to see my healer." Asami says, pulling me from the table before I finish my tea.

"Your healer? We can't just drop in, can we? I'm sure it's just a bug!" I drag my feet.

"And if it is, no harm done." Asami says.

I'll admit that she was right. If it was just a bug, they could at least give me a stomach soothing tea for it.

We take off on Naga, casually making our way through the streets of Republic City. I'm honestly in no rush, I'm too nervous. The longer we take to get there the better.

"So..." Asami mumbles behind me, "What have you and Mako been up to lately, it feels like I haven't seen you guys in weeks."

"Nothing really, nothing exciting at least. He's been working a lot, trying to bring down the new leader of the Agni Kais. We got in a fight a couple nights ago, but we're fine now." I shrug, looking down at Naga's fur. I think we're fine now, we both had kind of just dropped the subject and hadn't brought it up again.

"Whoa, what happening over there?" Asami gasped, startling me. I look around, not seeing anything out of place. "Look." she points down a side street. I see a crowd of people, being blockaded by caution tape and police. Far more than happy to take a detour, anything to postpone me hearing what I fear to be true, I turn Naga up the side street. From our place on her back, we can easily see over the dozen or so people standing around.

A dark colored satomobile, torn to shreds on one side, is being loaded onto a tow, another with a crushed hood sits several yards behind it. Asami inhales sharply behind me. My eyes travel to the road, littered with what looks like fruit, and a decently sized dark red mark in the middle of the street. I have been around long enough to know what blood soaked pavement looks like. I wonder quietly if someone died there, since they had long been removed from the scene.

I can't help but feel a little haunted at the sight of the wreck. I've never been one for ogling at accidents. I begin to instruct Naga to turn back around when I see the bumper of the wrecked car reflect the sun. It looks dented. Bolin had accidentally backed into Mako's police-issued motorcycle earlier last week, leaving an almost heart shaped dent in his bumper. Similar, if not identical, to the one I was looking at now.

"Korra, what is it?" Asami asks, her voice suddenly sounding so far away.

"That's Bolin's car." I choke on the words, my mouth dry. She's silent. Before she can try and assure me that I am wrong, I jump off Naga and push my way toward the police tape. I feel the nausea quickly return as I get a better look at the bumper. The red splotch on the pavement looks so much bigger now.

"Hey!" I shout towards the closest cop, ducking under the tape. The older man looks at me through a scowl.

"I think we can handle a car accident without the Avatar..." he growls. I can't identify if my want to smack the scowl off his face is from anger or fear.

"I need to know who got hurt."

"I don't see how that's your business."

"I'll make it my business," I go to grab his collar. It's both anger and fear, I realize. Asami's gloved hand catches my arm before I can snatch the fabric.

"Please, if you could just give us any information..." Asami looks up kindly to the officer.

"I don't know who got hurt. I just got here to supervise the cleanup. They were on their way to Republic City People's Hospital last I heard." the officer shrugged.

"Thank you." Asami nodded, pulling me back towards Naga. "We'll go to the hospital, okay? I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, but we'll just go check in case."

I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Too many scenarios are running through my head. If it was Bolin's car, who's blood did I see? Was Mako still asleep at the apartment? I abruptly find myself wishing I had gotten back into bed with him, rather than rushing off because of some stupid stomach ache.

"We should check the apartment first..." I say as I climb back up onto Naga. Asami agrees, it's on the way to the hospital anyway.

Bolin's car wasn't parked on the street, but Mako's motorcycle was. With my heart in my throat, I burst into our apartment, calling for him. I open the door to our bedroom, where I find the shades up and the bed neatly made.

"Korra!" Asami calls from the kitchen. I find her holding a note in her hands.

"It's from Mako, he and Bolin went to buy groceries..." she looks at me worriedly.

The fruit scattered around the street...

"Come on!" I grab her and drag her back to Naga. As I push Naga as fast as she can go, all I can see is the blood on the pavement.


	2. Two

_**A/N:** I'm really pumped about this fic, so glad you all of you are too! Hope you enjoy chapter 2!_

* * *

_**Korra**_

I've always hated hospitals. They're harsh and cold, nothing like the healing hut back home. Everything is bright, white and unsettling. The air is polluted with chemicals, the smell of sterility. I stared down at the nurse who sat before us, her pinched face scanning a clipboard of patient names.

"Mako or Bolin?" she asks, making sure the names I just told her were correct.

"Yes..." I grumble. She's taking way too long, "They were in a car accident, we were told they were brought here."

"And your relation?" she peers over her thickly framed glasses, "Family members are the only allowed visitors for the first 24 hours."

"What!?" I snap, slamming my hand down on the front desk.

"Please, we just want to know if they're okay, if it's even them!" Asami says softly.

"A Bolin was recently admitted through the Emergency Department, but I don't see the name of the other one, he may have gone directly into surgery..."

"I'm Bolin's sister-in-law!" I say, with more volume than I intend. I feel Asami stiffen beside me as she casts me a look. "This... this is his actual sister."

"Um... yes... I am." Asami smiles nervously, elbowing me in the rib.

She gives us the least convinced look I've ever seen. "Room 312, third floor." she sighs.

"Thank you!" I say as I lead Asami towards the elevators. I slam the button for the third floor, and Asami grabs my hand.

"You didn't tell me you and Mako got married?"

"We didn't... I lied." I say, "Although, I did a betrothal necklace in Mako's nightstand the other night. I just hope he's okay." I feel the anger and fear melt into desperation. My limbs feels too heavy, the elevator too small. I want to scream at the top of my lungs and huddle silently in a corner at the same time. Surgery, the nurse had said. Surgery for what? They usually try to avoid surgery by using healers... That means that healers weren't enough. Tears sting my eyes and threaten to fall when Asami squeezes my hand again.

"I'm sure he's fine, I bet the doctors will have more information than that moody woman." her reassuring tone doesn't help as much as it did before.

"There was so much blood..." I whisper.

"Where?" Asami asks.

"At the accident, didn't you see it?"

"We don't know who's blood that was, Korra."

"I know."

* * *

_**Mako**_

I've been with Bolin for over two hours. He's been awake for most of it. He asks about my condition every time a nurse walks in to check on him. They always give him the same answer, _'He's still in surgery.' _Bolin's tried asking what for, but they never give details. I wish I could tell him, from where I sit in the corner. My leg is broken, my ribs are broken, so much of me is broken. I could have followed myself into the operating room, but I found it too morbid. I'm much happier to stay with Bolin, who keeps whispering under his breath for me to be okay.

A flash of blue and brown passes the door as I pull my knees up to my chest. It quickly reappears in the doorway. Korra.

She rushes in, Asami close behind her. I stand as she looks over at Bolin, her eyes straying momentarily on my corner. Bolin tries to sit up straighter against the pillows propping him up.

"Bolin!" she gasps, her arms wrapping around his neck. He winces. "Sorry..." she says as she slowly pulls away.

"It's okay, it's great to see you." He smiles sadly.

"Korra..." I say, my voice hoarse from disuse. She doesn't hear me, I don't expect her to.

"Where's Mako?" Korra asks, her face falling.

"I'm right here!" I answer before Bolin.

"All I've been told is that he's in surgery, but it means that he's alive. That's gotta be something, right?" I have always been able to tell when Bolin is putting on a brave face. He's doing it now.

"And that you're alive." Korra adds.

"What happened?" Asami asks as Korra gently sits in the chair beside Bolin's bed.

"Somebody crashed into us on the way home... I honestly just remember the car spinning and losing sight of Mako. I was told he was thrown from the car." Bolin says, looking between Korra and Asami. Korra gives Asami a knowing look, but over what I can't be sure.

Bolin, although in better shape than me, looks beaten and tired. His black eye is swollen shut, his arm is sprained, and his chest is bruised. I'll have to thank Asami for making seat belts mandatory in all models later. I'll also have to start wearing them religiously.

"Sir?" a feminine voice says from the doorway. A young green eyed nurse steps into the room. She's surprised to see Korra and Asami, but directs her attention at Bolin. "You said you wanted to be informed when your brother got out of surgery?" Bolin nods as his eyes widen. "He's doing just fine, and he'll be in room 117 on the first floor in a few minutes." I wonder what her meaning of 'just fine' is. After all, I'm still standing here, with the unhelpful ability to walk through people, something I learned by accident earlier.

"Why? There's an empty bed right next to him?" Korra points at the made up hospital bed on Bolin's left.

"Oh, um... These room are reserved for VIPs... I'm afraid-"

"He's my brother, I want him up here!" Bolin snaps. I've only seen Bolin snap like that six times in my life. It takes a lot to make my little brother angry, though this time he seems more terrified than angry.

"Bolin, it's fine..." I say, hoping that somehow one of them will hear me.

"Of—of course sir." the nurse jumps, fiddling with her long fingers nervously. "I'll see what can be arranged."

"I'm gonna go see him," Korra stands from the chair. She looks at Bolin. "Unless you want me to stay here..."

"No! No, it's alright. If he's awake, I don't want him to be alone." Bolin says. I see the brave face again.

"Is it alright if go too?" Asami asks, a kind smile on her lips. Bolin nods. "I promise I'll be back soon."

"I can assure you, I'm not awake." I groan, "I'm going with them, Bo, though I don't know why I'm telling you this..."

I shuffle out into the hall behind Korra and Asami. In the few hours I've spent as this invisible whatever I am, I've learned that people can't hear me, feel me, or see me. I'm completely helpless. I've also resigned to that fact.

"Hey, so, you said something earlier that made me curious..." Asami nudges Korra with her shoulder. Korra had brightened up a bit since her arrival, not as on edge as before. Most likely due to that nurse saying I'm 'just fine'.

"Hm?" Korra says. "Oh, about the necklace I found?"

"You found it!?" I shout. For a moment, I almost think I see Korra glance toward me over her shoulder. "Why were you in my nightstand!?"

"Well, yeah." Asami says.

"What about it?"

"What were you doing in my nightstand?" I repeat.

"Why were you in his nightstand?" Asami asks.

"Thank you!" I throw up my hands as we get into the elevator.

"I was... Bolin asked me if we... Bolin was looking for protection, but I don't know where Mako keeps them..."

"In my shirt drawer." I cross my arms.

"So I found it under an old newspaper, it really wasn't hidden well." Korra smiles.

"You never go in there. I figured I was safe." I grumble.

"That's really exciting, right?" Asami looks to Korra for some kind of reaction. I find myself doing the same.

"Of course it is, I just... I want to focus on Mako getting better first. That and this whole thing." Korra motions towards her stomach.

"Are you still sick?" I ask. I had told her to go see a healer after I heard her throwing up two mornings ago.

"Right." Asami nods knowingly.

"What's going on?" I look worriedly at Korra as she exits the elevator.

I immediately understand why Bolin's semi-private room is reserved for VIPs. The first floor is packed wall to wall with patients waiting in the hallways, some looking worse for wear. Korra and Asami carefully made their way to room 117. Eight beds fill the room, all of which are occupied by unconscious looking men and women. I could almost sense myself lying in the farthest bed.

Blood stained bandages cover my arms and wrap around my head. My jaw is covered in a large purple bruise, my cheek has been scratched up by the pavement, and my leg has been put in a bulky cast.

"The nurse said he was fine..." Korra whispers as she gently takes my hand in hers. "He looks awful!"

"Excuse me, miss Avatar?" a short pudgy man with a receding hairline says from the end of my bed. He wears a doctor's coat and holds a clipboard.

"Yes?" Korra looks up.

"I'm Mako's doctor, Dr. Harada. Do you know him?" he gestures to me. It was obvious she knew me, he was probably just wondering the relation.

"He's my-" she looks quickly at Asami, "He's my fiance."

I wish I could hear her call me that under better terms.

"Then I'm sure you'd like to hear how he's doing."

"Please." Korra almost begs.

"I'm afraid his situation is a bit serious. His injuries are severe and he'll be in a lot of pain when he wakes up. We're going to want to keep him here until most of his fractures heal and we can get a healer to work more on his arms to prevent any kind of infection..."

"When will he wake up?" Korra interrupts him.

"If everything goes as planned, in an hour or two. We didn't sedate him heavily, we only needed to repair a few broken ribs."

"We want him moved to the third floor, with his brother." Asami says.

"Um, I'm afraid that could be quite expensive... VIP rooms are-" Dr. Harada mumbles.

"Money isn't an issue." Asami assures him.

"I'll tell the orderlies right away." Harada turns to leave.

"He's the Avatar's boyfriend, you'd think that would qualify him as a VIP..." Korra's lower lip sticks out in a pout, "But knowing him, he wouldn't want any special treatment." She runs her hand through my hair. I love it when she does that, I've never told her that my mother used to do the same thing. I just wish I could feel it.

"I hate that you can't hear me." I mumble, reaching out to touch her hand. My fingers pass through hers, but I let them linger. She withdraws her hand from my head, almost like she's been bitten. My breath hitches in my throat as she stares at her hand then back at my hair.

"You okay?" Asami asks, her brow furrowed.

"Yeah, my hand got really cold for a second..." Korra shakes it out beside her. Did she feel me? I've heard enough ghost stories in my life to know that they can make people cold. I'm not a ghost, though. Not if my body is alive.

I see a dark shadow hover over another patient out of the corner of my eye. It's eery gray glow floats above the floor, almost an outline of something. Seeing it flips my stomach.

"Is anyone else seeing this?" I ask, looking to Korra.

It looks directly at me, making a soft clicking noise. Like a noise Bolin once made when he tapped two komodo chicken bones together when we were looking for food in a dumpster as kids. As my heartbeat quickens, I push myself against the bed. I'm surprised to hear the sound of it's metal frame scraping the tile floor as it moves an inch or two. I look down for only a second, and when I look up again, the gray shadow is gone.

"Did the bed just move?" Asami asks softly.

"I don't know, did you lean on it?" Korra looks up from my body.

"No, but I did." I say, checking for any remnants of the shadow before allowing myself a moment of hope.

I moved something. Maybe I can do it again. The flower vase on he tray beside me catches my eye. Shutting my eyes tightly, I swat at it. Nothing happens. My hand goes right through it. "Damn it." I frown. Perhaps I didn't move the bed.

Clicking echoes in my ears, much louder than before. I turn around slowly to find myself face to face with the gray shadow, who now looks much more like one of the dark spirits we saw in the South Pole several years ago.

"Korra!" I yell, hoping still that she'll hear something. Why can't they see this spirit? He's practically hovering over them.

Before I can utter another word, the spirit swipes at me. A sharp pain sends me flying backwards against the opposite bed, which doesn't move. I stand, my fists raised. I know I can't bend like this, I've already tried, but if it can hurt me I can hurt it.

Unphased by my willingness to fight, the spirit holds up it's large claws and swipes at me again. I fall to the ground, the same pain pulsing in my chest, almost like I'm being ripped apart from the inside. I hear a shatter of ceramic, the flower vase I tried to move has been knocked to the floor by the spirit.

Korra springs to her feet, looking around for the reason. How can she not see this? She's the Avatar.

"Sweetie, please, now would be the time to tune into your spirit senses..." I huff, clutching my chest.

A few orderlies file into the room, distracting the spirit creature. I take the chance to swing at it, and as my arms pass through it, it evaporates into the air just like it had before.

"What the heck is going on!?" I shout angrily. I jump onto my bed, phasing into myself partially, which is far weirder than I had anticipated. I slam my hands on either side of my body, staring down at my own beaten face. "Wake up! Wake up you stupid idiot!"

"Mako..." Korra's shoulder passes through my arm as she leans towards the pillow, her lips centimeters away from my ear. "We're moving you up to Bolin's room, I'll see you up there, okay?"

"What am I doing?" I fall back on my knees, "Why is this happening?"

I just want answers. I've been scared before, but nothing has ever made me feel so completely hopeless and detached in a long time; I've also never wanted to hit myself in the face so badly. I feel tears escape and fall down my cheeks as the irresistible urge to cry punches a hole in my chest. I've never been one for crying, I couldn't be, not with Bolin relying on me for most of our lives. I had to be the strong big brother, that's what my mother told me. He can't see me now, no one can. No one can hear my pathetic sobbing as I sit at my own body's feet, begging to wake up.


End file.
